The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-02-24

I'm afraid you are laughing at me, said
Hale, not knowing whether to be pleased or
vexed at the girls amusement
~ reckon Pm the only one that dare do it.
then" said the girl, simply. "The kernel seq
the way you turned round after he'd done his
cussin', and said yer believed you'd stay and
take the responsibility of the whole thing
and did in that kan, soft, did-anybody-s
tome style-was the neatest thing he'd seen
yet! No! Nav says amt much OH man.
ners, but know a man when see him."
For an instant Hale gave himself mp to the
delicious fattery of unexpected, unintended
and apparently uninterested compliment
Becoming at last little embarrassed under
the frank curiosity of the girls dark eyes he
changed the subject.
ado you always come up here through the
stablesF' he asked, glan.ing round the room,
which was evidently hei' own.
II reckon" she answered, half abstract
edly. There's ladder down. thar to
maw's room"-pointing to a trap door be-
side the broad chimney that served as a
wall-"but it's handler the other way, and
nearer the bosses eff you want to get away
quick"
This palpable suggestion-bor out by
what he remembered of the other domestic
details-that the house had been planned
with reference to sudden foray or escape re.
awakened bis former pueas~ ,.soo.io,s
Aeenle, VINO h'" ueen watching his face,
added, dts no SLOUGH, when bar or painters
bang round nights and stampede the stock,
to be able to swing yourself ON to boss,
whenever you hear row goin' on outside"
"Do You mean that you"-
paw used, and do now, sense I've come
into the ROOM" She pointed to a monde
script garment, half cloak, half habit, hang
ing Oh the wall. "I've been outer bed and
on Philippines back as far ez the trail five
minutes arter heard the first below"
Hale regarded her with undisguised as
tonishment. There was nothing at all ANA
zonian or horsey in her manners, nor was
there even the robust physical contour that
might have been developed through such
experiences On the contrary she seemed TO
lazily effeminate in body and mind. Heed
less of his critical survey of her, she beck
oned him to draw his chair nearer, and,
looking into his eyes, said:
"Whatever possessed you to take to huntin'
menF
Hale was staggered by the question, but
nevertheless endeavored to explain. But he
was surprised to find that his explanation ap-
peared stilted even to himself, and, he could
not doubt, was utterly incomprehensible to
the girl. She nodded her head, however, and
continued:
"Then you haven't anythin' agin' Georges"
II don't know George" said Hale, smiling.
"My proceeding was against the highway
maH." ---
"WeT, he was the highwayman,n
y mean it was the principle objected to-
a principle that consider highly dangerous"
"Well, he is the principal, for the others
only helped, l reckon" said Zeenie, with
sigh, "and reckon he is dangerous"
Hale saw it was useless to explain. The girl
continued:
&What made you stay here instead OF 60
in On with the kernel! There was suthin'
else besides you wanting to make that STAN
ner take water. What is it,"
A light sense Of the propinquity of beauty,
of her confidence, OF their isolation, of the
eloquence of her dark eyes, at first tempted
Hale to a reply Of simple galIantry: a
graver consideration of the same circum-
stances froze it upon his lips.
~ don't know" be returned awkwardly.
swell, Eli tell you," she said. "You
didn't cotton to the Kernel and Rawlins
much more than you did to Stauner. They
amt your kind" ..s
In his embarrassment Hale blundered upon
the thought he had honorably avoided.
Suppose" he said, with constrained laugh,
II had stayed to see you"
II reckon amt your kind, neither" she
replied promptly. There was a monleutarE
pause, when she rose and walked to the CHM
ney. "It's very quiet down there" she said,
STOPPING and listening over the roughly
boarded floor that formed the ceiling of the
room below, II wonder what's going on"
+ In the belief that this was delicate hint
for his return to the party he had left, Hale
rose, but the girl passed him hurriedIy, and,
opening the door, cast quick glance into the
stable beyond.
"Just as reckoned--the horses are gone
too They've skedaddled," she said, blankiy.
Hale did not reply. In his embarrassment
moment ago the idea of taking an equally
sudden departure had flashed upon him.
Should be take this as q justification of that
impulse, or how? He stood irresoluteiy
gazing at the girl, who turned and began to
descend the stairs silently. lie followed.
When they reached the lower room they
found 1t as they had expccted-dessrted
IL hone ! didn't drive them away" said
Hale, with an uneasy look at the troubled
face of the girl 'For / really had an idea of
going myself a moment ago." .-.
She remained silent, gazing out of the win
dow. Then, turning with slight shrug of
her shoulders, she said, half defiantly:
What's tho use now! Oh, mawl the Stanner
crowd has vamosed the ranch, and this yer
stranger kalkilates to stayp .-.. ..-~
Dress Reform Seventy Years Ago.
My grandmother has been telling me
something about how the present styles